Foreign Visa card spending reached R3.1 billion during the lead-up to, during and after the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa.

The recent FIFA World Cup boosted tourism in South Africa, resulting in the creation of much needed jobs. This was announced by National Tourism Minister Marthinus van Schalkwyk speaking at the launch of SA Tourism’s “I’m a South African Fan” campaign at the Ipelegeng Community Centre in Soweto, on Thursday.

Cape Town is one of British Airways passengers' favourite international destinations, an impromptu study of global booking trends has revealed.

Cape Town Tourism’s facebook page is demonstrating the power of social networking, after hitting the 100 000th fan mark in just one year.

The Mother City's tourism agency is confident that the recent World Cup would have a multiplier effect on the number of future arrivals of international visitors to the City, despite the number of tourist arrivals during the event having been lower than expected.

Tourism Minister Marthinus van Schalkwyk has been appointed to chair the World Economic Forum (WEF)'s Tourism Council until next year.

Journalists from across the world have hailed Cape Town as one of the friendliest and most beautiful cities, according to a report compiled by the city's tourism agency.

The 2010 FIFA World Cup contributed significantly to the more than 1.4 million tourists that came to the country between 1st June and mid-July 2010. Most of the tourists were first time visitors to South Africa.

Airport Company South Africa (ACSA) has confirmed that it will compensate match ticket carrying passengers who missed Wednesday night's FIFA World Cup semi-final between Germany and Spain in Durban due to congestion at King Shaka International Airport.

South Africa cleaned up at the annual World Travel Awards for Africa last night, winning 36 awards out of the total 49 categories. Despite the pyramids, Egypt, its nearest rival, managed to win only four.

Dutch airline KLM scrambled to put on extra planes to South Africa on Wednesday after the Netherlands reached the World Cup final, as airline alliance bosses limbered up for their own superjumbo clash.

The positive global media coverage South Africa has received during the 2010 World Cup has exceeded all expectations and will benefit the country's tourism industry long after the tournament ends.

Cape Town has once again made it onto a global list for its exceptional beauty. This time, Forbes magazine has named Cape Town one of the twelve most beautiful cities in the world.

Often ranked among the most beautiful places in the world, South Africa’s Garden Route and Winelands feature in a global Top Ten Places to Propose list compiled by travel specialists Mr & Mrs Smith (www.mrandmrssmith.com).

Cape Town is gearing up for its first fully-fledged multicultural, costumed and choreographed carnival taking place on Saturday, March 20th. The entire length of Long Street, from Shortmarket Street to Buitensingel, is to become the playground for the inaugural Cape Town Carnival (CTC).

South Africa's incoming tourism grew by 3.6 percent in the face of the recession in 2009, Minister of Tourism Marthinus van Schalkwyk said on Thursday.

A record 10 million tourists are expected to pass through South Africa's ports of entry this year, says Tourism Minister Marthinus van Schalkwyk.

Cape Town’s tourism industry stakeholders have taken steps to combat international perceptions of South Africa as “an expensive destination”, ahead of the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

South African is one of the top destinations for adrenalin junkies, according to influential travel guide Lonely Planet. The experience of swimming with sharks at Dyer Island made the top 10 of Lonely Planet’s thrill-seekers list.

Conference centres across the country are reporting a high demand this year as local businesses try to squeeze in conferences ahead of the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

The newly refurbished luxury five-star hotel, The Twelve Apostles Hotel and Spa, has once again been listed in the 16th annual Condé Nast Traveler Gold List 2010 as one of the 'Best places to stay in the world'.

The 2010 World Cup and the "Obama effect" of a US president of African heritage has sparked a surge in interest in much of Africa as a tourist destination, industry experts say.

South Africa has been recommended to global travellers as one of the most ethical countries in the developing world. 

Cape Town has earned a stamp of approval from the well known travel company Lonely Planet as one of the world’s top 10 party cities. This list is part of Lonely Planet’s new guide, the “1000 Ultimate Experiences”.

Twenty-nine South African beaches have been awarded Blue Flag status this year, Tourism Minister Marthinus van Schalkwyk announced last week. This was ten more than last year and extremely good news for tourism, he said in a statement issued after a ceremony to mark the announcement at Muizenberg beach in Cape Town.